About Us

About EPACANDO

The East Palo Alto Community Alliance Neightborhood  Development Organization (EPACANDO) is dedicated to creating affordable housing and promoting community and economic development in the City of East Palo Alto.

For more than three decades, EPACANDO [pronounced “E.P.A. Can Do”] has worked for “progress of, by, and for” our local residents, including a necessarily strong emphasis on anti-displacement.  We have pursued two key strategies:

• • • co-developing permanently-affordable rental housing (450 apartments so far), and
    • supporting residents in acquiring and maintaining homeownership.

We partner proudly with our City government to – quoting our City motto – build a just city.

Our housing production and preservation efforts have included

• • • buying and renovating an aging, occupied 15-unit apartment complex,
    • intervening to prevent displacement of homeowners being foreclosed upon, or
      renters whose homes are being sold out from under them
    • counseling local residents who look for housing, or want to build accessory dwelling units, or
      face eviction from a mobile home park
    • sustaining our affiliated community land trust.

EPACANDO’s History

In the summer of 1989, a group of individuals met to contemplate the creation of a community developed organization. The group consisted of Cliff Boxley, Trevor Burrows, Robert Jones, Dyanne Ladine, Beth Leder-Pack, Jane Leech, Barbara Mouton, Acanio Piomelli, Majoriel Wallace and William Webster.

The outcome was the formation of a membership-based Community Development Corporation (CDC) in August 1991. East Palo Alto Community Alliance and Neighborhood Development Organization (EPACANDO) was incorporated as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization.

Community Development Corporations (CDC’s) are usually neighborhood based; consisting of local residents, representatives of other community groups, non-profits and businesses. CDC’s are usually  not for profit organizations that can address affordable housing development and other issues dependent on particular neighborhood needs.

EPACANDO’s primary objectives and purposes were, and still remain, the same as they have been over the last 30+ years.

Accomplishments

• Developed six affordable apartment complexes, comprising 452 apartments—more than 5% of East Palo Alto’s total housing
• Earned invitations to co-develop two additional affordable apartment complexes in Ravenswood Business District
• Launched a $2M loan fund, with the City, to aid homeowners building ADUs
• Administered City of East Palo Alto’s Below Market Rate Homeownership program
• Launched the Anti-Predatory Lending program and counseled over 3,000 clients, many facing foreclosure
• Conducted homebuyer and credit/budget financial literacy workshops for over 5,000 residents
• Convened a local Housing Coalition to advocate for affordable housing in East Palo Alto
• Established a Local Business Directory
• Established a Farmers Market
• Incorporated in 1991

We love our community and welcome your feedback and suggestions. Use our Contact Us page to tell us what we’re doing right or what we can improve on.